Merbromin (marketed as Mercurochrome, Merbromine,
Sodium mercurescein, Asceptichrome, Supercrome and Cinfacromin) is
a topical antiseptic used for minor cuts and scrapes. It is no
longer sold in the USA because of its mercury content. Merbromin is
an organomercuric
disodium salt compound
and a fluorescein.

Uses

Merbromin's best-known use is as a topicalantiseptic, however it, along
with Merthiolate,
has been ruled ineffective by the FDA, and is no longer
approved. When applied on a wound, the dark red colour stains the
skin, making the detection of any erythema or inflammation,
indicative of infection, more difficult. Merbromin is also used as
a biological dye used to mark tissue
margins, and as a metal dye in industrial dye
penetrant inspection to detect metal fractures.

Mercurochrome & Tinctures

Mercurochrome is the trade
name of merbromin and (usually) of merbromin tinctures made of merbromin and
alcohol or water
(usually 2% merbromin to 98% alcohol or water).

Its antiseptic qualities were discovered by
Johns
HopkinsdoctorHugh H.
Young in 1919. The chemical
soon became popular among parents and doctors for everyday
antiseptic uses and it was very commonly used for minor injuries in
the schoolyard. The
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) removed it from the
"generally recognized as safe" and into the 'untested'
classification to effectively halt its distribution in the United
States in 1998 over fears of potential mercury
poisoning.

It is readily available in most other
countries.

A common name for the antiseptic in households
was "monkey blood". This is due to the reddish stain left behind
after use.